Floating swims-bridge



JOHN N. VROOMAN, 0F DANUBE. NEW YORK.

FLOATING SWING-BRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,551, dated April 15, 1840.

.To all whom t may @o7-wem Be it known that I, JOHN N. VnooMAN, residing at Danube, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a floating swing-bridge, which is chiefly calculated for the crossing of streams or waters that are used for navigation, particularly canals; and I do hereby declare that the fol lowing is a fulland exact description.

having one end of the bridge floatr and swing around and the other end stationary move on fa pivot. The end that floats, rests on a boat or float or -scow or buoy made for the purpose of suficient dimensions to bear up the floating end of the bridge to which it is attached. rlhe bank of the canal or stream which receives the floating end of the bridge (when thrown across canal or stream) is faced on the top with a flat piece of timber on which the floating end of the bridge rests. The boat, oat, scow or buoy will bear up the floating end of the bridge several inches higher than the bank on which it is to rest. When loads are passing the bridge they will sink the floating end of the bridge down, so as to rest on the bank, and when the loads are passed the floating end will again rise up and float. rlhe boat7 iioat, scow or buoy on which the floating end of the bridge rests and which bears it up may be placed under other parts of the bridge and is considered by the undersigned to do best about one third distant from the floating end of the bridge. 'There may also be several boats, floats7 scows or buoys placed under the bridge if desired. The boat, float, scow or buoy is fastened to the bridge by tenons passing through the outside string pieces of the bridge, which are keyed on the top of the string pieces. Through these string pieces pass on each side of the bridge above the boat, float, scow or buoy two screws which when screwed down on the boat, float, scow or buoy will raise the bridge, the screws to be of iron. The box or nut through which the screws pass are fixed fast in the string pieces, the floating end of the bridge resting its whole weight on the boat, float, scow or buoy. When the screws are screwed down they will press on the boat, float, scow or buoy without sinking it any deepervin the water and will thus raise the oating end of the' bridge. These screws may also be made of wood, in which case the screw is cut The nature of my invention consists in through the string pieces. There may also tou-r screws instead of two be vnia-de use of and these screws as well as the tenons may be made to pass through timbers laid across the boat, lloat, scow or buoy and xed fast t-o the string pieces. The tenons and screws passing through these timbers willV avoid weakening the string' pieces by the passin' through them. When the bridge is raise by the screws of sufficient height from the boat, lloat, scow or buoy a piece of timber is then slipped on the boa-t, float, scow or buoy for the bridge to rest on and the bridge again wedged 'fast through the tenons aforesaid.v The object thus to raise the floating end lof the bridge is when low water to have it float high eno-ugh to swing into its place on the towing path bank when the bridge is thrown across canal, stream or water. It will probably seldom happen that the water will be so low as to require the raising of the floating end of' the bridge by the screws and thus the screws may be dispensed with, or the bank of the canal over which the floating end of the bridge swings may be faced with two or more flat pieces of timber plated on 'each other, so that when the water gets low one or more of these pieces of timber may be taken away so that the iloating end vof the bridge swings over those remain` ing and rests on them and when the water again rises replace the timbers. The other end of the bridge is' stationary and moves on a pivot by an iron bolt that passes through the center of the stationary end of the bridgerinto a piece of timber fastened to the bank of the canal, stream or water.

The outside side sills of the stationary end of the bridge rest on long timbers, which timbers verge off horizontally upon the shore at an angle with the bridge of about forty-five degrees, on which timbers the stationary end of the bridge rests when the floating end is swinging from one side of the canal, stream or water to the other side. These timbers also assist in keeping the bridge from tarving.

At the stationary end of the bridge is a short trap bridge of the length of half the width of the main bridge. On the land side this trap bridge is fixed fast with iron hooks and eyes to a cross sill attached to the shore, while the other endk drops on the floating bridge and covers it to about the extent of ten inches; This trap bridge is for the purl1() st y sov

pose of getting on the main bridge and also.

assists in keeping the main bridge from of the latch out of its notchA and the bridge tarving. Y

At the floating end of the bridge are ropes or chains attached by which to draw or swing the floating end Vof the bridge from one side of the canal, stream or water toV the other side. These ropes or chains run on. pulleys. One of these pulleys is liXed o-n the bank of the canal, stream or `water opposite the stationary end of the bridge. The other pulley is fixed on the bank on the same side of the canal, stream or water with the stationary-end of the bridge distant from the stationary end the flength of the bridge. Thus after a person has passedthe bridge he can take hold of the rope or chain and y draw it back Ato its place to lay-up, the chain or rope dropping to thevbottom of the'canal, stream or water,'so that boats `and craft may pass without interruption7 and when the person wishes to recross he can drawl upon the other end of the rope or chain and draw the bridge to him and after passin may again draw the bridge back to the pace to lay up out of the way of boats or craft.

There is a latch to the floating end of the bridge which when the bridge isdrawn to the shore to lay up catches in notches cut in the timbers extending from the shore for fenders to the' bridge, which latch is fixed to the side of the bridge that .is off from the shore when the bridge lays u inside of the string piece, an the rope'or chain passing over the string piece is tied to the latch so that when the rope or chain is drawn to haul the bridgeit also raises the latch. The rope or chain may also passunder the string piece and be tied to the backend of the latch. In that case the latch ex-` tendsabout a foot back from the pivot on which it moves and thus when the rope is and on the drawn to haul the bridge itV pulls down the i back end of the latch and lifts thefront end` is hauled ofi'. In either case when the latch is lifted out of its notch to its proper height the latch will strike a pin or block aiiixed to f Y the string piece, sothat itcannot` rise higher` than necessary. Therope lor chain attached notch. s To, obviate thisfayweight is arixed.`

' At each end, of the'bridge when laid upV are timbers extended fromthe shore facing -to the latch has a tendency to keep the latch up and prevent `it from dropping into its `to the latch to make'itdropinto its notch.

the bridge and `at `the off side `from the bridge verging off at an angle of` about forty five degrees. Thesetimbers 'defend' rthe bridge from injury by craft y passing the canal, strearrv or water. ,The end "of the bridge whenV swinging around-.t0 lay up swings over apiece .of timberextended from theshore on which `the floating end of the bridge `rests when. laidup .and in case the water is drawn oithe bridge lays up in safety. y

,What I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isu 1. The employment cfa boat, float, scow or buoy for the purpose of sustaining the swinging end of a bridge inthe manner described. f

`.2; I also 'claim'thef arrangement` of ropes or chains by which the bridge can be opened orclosed fromeither side of the canal or stream as described and in combination therewith the latch `for retaining the bridge `thrown back as described. JOHN` N., `VnooMaN.`

in its place when In presence o-Q` A. LooMIs,

P. STERNBERG. .y 

